US Politics | July 2024 #2

July 30, 2024

Biden's Replacement for Re-election, Media Scrutiny, and Political Intrigues

Overview- The callers for democracy are running a monarchy, and the Democratic presidential nomination is controlled by a few elites. Yes, the autocrat Joe Biden decided that he is the only person on the planet to beat former President Trump and ran for re-election, not wanting an open process. The elites complied. When someone questioned Biden's cognitive ability, the elites and media all became health experts. It is a total sham of world leadership, run by unelected officials, with the Teleprompter President as a puppet.

The Judas in Congress and Elite Media- Now that the truth is surfacing, coupled with all the failed attempts to discredit Donald Trump, and after the failed assassination, you may silently ask, could it be? Perhaps Jesus got a fairer process, and there were a lot more Judas figures out there turning on Biden. So, Pelosi has anointed Ms. Harris , as a leftist Californian she may represent best her interest, and certainly the policies (failed) of Mr. Biden. What started as a lightweight socialite in the Elite circles of California , now she knows best how to provide for the middle class and lead the world.

The 7 stages of Dementia- The saga of the Democrats comes full circle. After the successful GOP convention in Milwaukee, the rings around the most inner circle promoting Biden are falling off. What started after the first debate, perhaps the reason the debate was so early, was the performance of President Biden. Although everyone who has watched the President over his reign of the three-some years had to realize that the health and cognitive decline was obvious, it may have been to the advantage of the “most inner circle” to drive the agenda they wanted. It was the inner circle that used the power of the CIA, FBI, and other institutions, or vice versa. It is a real scandal, and whoever is now chanting Kamala has no respect or understanding of any democratic process. If you compare this to Jan 6, they protested, the Democrats fooled democracy and kicked every believer in democracy in the face.

Let’s see where the chips are in 2-3 weeks. If the polls show that Kamala Harris will not beat Trump, who will be the next horse to enter the race? Remember, she is the first black woman; that was the main criterion to get her on Joe Biden's ticket. So, all criticism of her is certainly close to the label racist. From dementia to DEI, with abortion the key issue and Mr. Trump labeled a rapist and business fraud, an enemy of freedom and prosperity, from the Queen's mouth, a prosecutor and VP, living the American Dream as a presidential candidate, knowing to please the right people . It looks to me like a time as a kid at the circus, all great for the artists and performers, until the clown showed up during the breaks. Yep, looks like that.

This all was evident from July 19 through 21, and the Presidential Teleprompter address on July 24 . A bitter and defeated Joe, nothing about why he resigned, but praising all his paper accomplishments, where are the fact-checkers now? (Note Jill Biden was present but departed right after to the Olympics with Kimberly Cheatle). No one can believe that this was not a planned and coordinated effort, perhaps a coup . From the announcement to the transfer of delegates, to the so-called record fundraiser (transferring Biden's kitty), every Democrat should be ashamed, especially Schumer and Pelosi, and the Biden protectors. He is not the greatest ever; he is the most corrupt administrator of a corrupt system. You wonder when Jamie Raskin joins Mr. Comer asking for the resignation of Kimberly Cheatle. I mean, he still thinks Hunter's laptop is a hoax, so we take her out of the line and fly her to Paris. No questions, no comments. So, you wonder if Jill knows more than Joe, and we will never know if a dead DJT would have changed the plan. It would have made less noise? For some, it was a foreign object anyhow , the gunman was just shooting in the wrong direction, another democracy theory. So we continue with President Biden until January 2025, when he reaches stage 7 of dementia, for the sake of democracy.

How did Biden get elected anyhow- But let’s reflect a bit. In the Democrats' bid running up to the 2020 election, Bernie Sanders seemed to have a real shot, until the Senator from SC managed or staged a political power act to catapult Joe Biden, his friend, into the spotlight. Friends go long places, and the deep state knows its favorites. The basement campaign, the denied Hunter story, the Hillary Russian hoax had nothing to do with the outcome, or Zuckerberg’s 400 million, that would be an assault on democracy.

"Just days ago , the press and the pundits had declared his candidacy dead. Now, thanks to all of you — the heart of the Democratic Party — we just won and we've won big because of you, and we are very much alive," an energized Biden said at an event with supporters in Columbia, S.C.

The crucial win has the potential to resurrect Biden's campaign after a series of poor finishes in the other early voting states (fourth place in Iowa, fifth place in New Hampshire, and a distant second in Nevada).

Biden's win was deemed a major victory , as he won all 46 counties in the state. The win was largely attributed to his support from 61% of African-American voters (African-American voters make up approximately 60% of the Democratic electorate in South Carolina). [39] Before the primary on February 26, House Majority Whip and longtime U.S. Representative Jim Clyburn endorsed Biden. [40] Many cited Clyburn's endorsement as a reason for Biden's wide margin of victory, as Clyburn's endorsement was a deciding factor for many African American voters in South Carolina. [41] Thirty-six percent of all primary voters said that they made their decision after Clyburn's endorsement; of that total, 70% voted for Biden. [42] According to FiveThirtyEight , the outcome significantly boosted Biden's chance of winning multiple Super Tuesday states (especially southern states like North Carolina , Texas , and Virginia ).

Same old, same old- Fast forward, with the decision not to seek re-election, the Democratic elite now hails President Biden as a saint, and the cult people in and around the Democratic party will continue to lie their way to winning another election with the help of the media. Democracy is at stake, yes with a prosecutor at the helm who will destroy the nation with the Attorney General selection, suing everything and everybody not complying. Biden was an autocrat, Kamala Harris, just see how she negotiated the selection, check how she started? Nothing democratic , a pleaser for the power brokers and her understanding of freedom, a woman's right to choose, no borders, California green rulings, and jailing political opponents.

If you followed a bit of the media coverage of the GOP convention (that may have been the final straw to oust Biden) there might be a unified GOP , but the hate for DJT remains as ever. Nothing good from the liberal press, no political or agenda discussion, it is all about the person, going as far as he faked the assassination. And then people are wondering why we no longer have discussions, prosecuting free speech. Here are some ideas what some 3000 people call democracy, organized by real democratic issues .

Donald Trump and Biden's (Democrats) Hypocrisy- Following the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, Biden in an Oval Office teleprompter speech had an epiphany . What Biden did say, if you call other people racist, criminals, fascists, compare them to Hitler, and officially prosecute him as a danger to democracy with fabricated and staged processes, that is not hate speech. Biden defines hate speech if you are against abortion (unlimited) when you speak out on immigration and point out wars and economic conditions not meeting expectations. And now he wants to curb hate speech. Good, in one day CNN, MSNBC, WAPO, and the New York Times, including the VP of the United States, and Biden's entire staff have nothing to say anymore; hate is all they sow. And for Donald Trump, he now must praise the destruction of Hillary’s phones and laptops, Adam Schiff as the defender of democracy with the Russian and Ukrainian collusion, and he has to go out and call the Hunter Biden laptop a fake? Mr. Biden and his allies are closer to Stalinist methods than Donald Trump. So Kamala simply takes off where Biden left, the best president ever in her praise. You have to earn your nomination, right.

Trump's assassination- So, what is next, a sham investigation of a mentally ill shooter? Or perhaps since the dad bought the gun and legally sold it to his son (can we please see the purchase agreement) a well-manipulated individual? If Secret Service and police see him climb up a roof, get into position, and fire 6-7 shots (to hit a head with an AR-15 is a pretty good skill) before acting, you would think that the Secret Service has a ladder somewhere to get up the roof? But the Secret Service is run by Homeland Security, who has it all under control, including the border.

In the aftermath of Trump's assassination attempt, Homeland Security Chief and the Secret Service, what a mess. If you would have to cover a crime, that is when you say nothing, know nothing and reflect. Every mafia member knows the rules, so the date of the assassination we know Jill Biden , Kamala, and we know who else needed to speak in PA, diluting the Secret Service. Does that explain spotting a person of suspect one hour early and watching him literally decoy? And then it takes 60 days to investigate, with a dead shooter, and already starting the debate about banning AR-15’s. It's kind of ironic, listening to some commentaries, it looks like only Trump's haters should be allowed guns? This all stinks to heaven, especially with Jill Biden's friend running the security detail. Perhaps Lee Harvey Oswald and Thomas Matthew Crooks can now exchange notes in Heaven or Hell, it certainly may be a mystery for years to come, but is it really a surprise after the Russia hoax, the Hunter laptop, the Hunter bank accounts, the impeachment, the Lawfare buzz, for people living in the escalation and hate business, Thomas Matthew Crooks, was like in a mafia organization, just fulfilling his duties? It did not look like President Biden was overly upset when he addressed the people from the Oval Office, and the crocodile tears of the Democrats are now all tears of joy for Kamala, returning to the same rhetoric and potentially curbing for safety President Trump's rallies to Joe Biden's dumpster rooms, with a max of 15 people, it is all democratic. At least Crooks' Papa seems to be in OK spirits, he was obviously calling the police, but so far he has not been charged for handing or allowing his son to use his gun, ah he sold it to him.

Biden the King, although self-anointed – While he was addressing the reasons he was not seeking re-election (he aged from Friday to Monday irreversibly) he gave us the 15-minute State of the Union address with the headlines we all know, his 16 million job creation, about 10 you count as COVID recovery, 5 million government and healthcare and about a million others, with about 300,000 newly created manufacturing jobs, compare the recruitment cost? No new wars – sure the CIA does the heavy lifting, immigration, the executive order in June was too little too late, and the rest are simply regurgitated and watered-down Trump policies, and lots of paper records. If you want real excitement about political investment , spend money on a market that is not yet ready. Jennifer Granholm, the engineer of the Michigan bailout of 2008, knows how to feed inefficiencies.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), passed in March 2021, cost $1.8 trillion , more than half of the new spending enacted during Biden's time in office.

But it's the other expensive legislation Biden has signed that pushed him past Trump. The much-vaunted Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act spent another $765 billion , though the infrastructure expenditures will occur over the course of the next five years. The Jon Stewart-promoted Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act contributed another $278 billion , while the recently passed CHIPS Act "chipped" in $255 billion more. And though congressional Democrats failed to pass Biden's Build Back Better legislation earlier this year, its eventual successor, the Inflation Reduction Act, is still estimated by the CBO to add another $51 billion to the federal ledger.

Working with the Obama administration , Governor Granholm helped to secure a 2009 bailout of the auto industry , which included investments in clean energy. A study conducted in November 2010 estimated that the auto rescue, by avoiding the worst-case scenario that would have included lengthy bankruptcy proceedings, saved an estimated 1.14 million U.S. jobs.

Center for Automotive Research. " The Impact on the U.S. Economy of the Successful Automaker Bankruptcies ." Page 8.

Elon's Genius – Think of him what you want, he is a mover. Elon Musk the Genius, imagine he donated to Donald Trump which is, according to some people, a criminal act. But he was a first in EV, makes X a tool for all and free speech, moves more than Bill Gates who dabbles in projects that turn more into show projects and Elon Musk has visions to help people back to life .

The implant is intended to enable paralyzed patients to control digital devices with their thoughts alone. Arbaugh can already use it to play video games, surf the internet and move a cursor.

Musk emphasized in the live stream that the device does not cause any damage to the brain. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) gave the company the green light for testing on humans last year after it had previously expressed safety concerns.

Supreme Court's Homeless decision – Is it not the government's job to be by the people for the people, so why are there so many homeless in heaven-on-earth democracies like Oregon and California? Perhaps if you hand out people money and let them use public spaces to live, why are we paying taxes and going to work? Reasonable thinking would suggest that uncontrolled immigration would worsen the situation, but the thought of reasonable is not constructive for destructive behavior. Wonder why Mr. Newsome could accept a verdict from a conservative Supreme Court, and install an executive order? Well, we need to help the poor around the world, but the blue states in the US cannot get a job for their homeless but for immigrants, perhaps sarcastically they are better use for climate change .

Last month the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that said governments could not force people to leave encampments if there weren’t any shelter beds available. The case, out of Grants Pass, was the most significant on the problem to come before the high court in decades.

In Oregon, a state law passed in 2021 requires that local rules regulating where people experiencing homelessness can sit, lie or sleep outdoors on public property must be “objectively reasonable” in their “time, place and manner.” Courts have not yet ruled on what is “objectively reasonable” under the law, which muted any effect of the Supreme Court decision on Portland’s current practices.

Cities across the country have been wrestling with the politically complicated task of how to deal with a rising number of people without a permanent place to live and public frustration over related health and safety issues.

While December's winter storm saw U.S. citizens frozen to death in their cars and fallen street-side in snowbanks, our migrant-obsessed legislators sent another screw you to the American people in the form of beefed-up assistance for illegal immigrants. Year-round, millions of Americans are homeless or one paycheck away from being on the streets. Forty thousand veterans are homeless across the nation, and 40 percent of our homeless population is Black. So there is extra treachery in passing an omnibus spending bill that includes $800 million in grants to build shelters for foreigners and illegal aliens.

Hillbilly Elegy and the Appalachian outcry While JD Vance wrote a book about a family story, yes, they moved from Appalachia to Middletown OH, and with his nomination to VP a sales surge has occurred. Some misguided Appalachians refer to the book as not relevant to the Appalachia region. Fair, but how can people make that connection and what is the motivation for such? Appalachia is Appalachia, today and not at the time JD grew up, just another fabrication and if not, write a bestseller. But it gets better, the German translation by Ullstein Publishing is canceled, because J.D. is now a Trumper. Go figure.

Because the book is the "Hillbilly Elegy", written by J. D. Vance, and the Ullstein publishing house has found it unappetizing since he became Donald Trump's running mate.

What does this have to do with the book? Nothing. "At the time of publication," says the publisher, "the book made a valuable contribution to understanding the drifting apart of US society." Doesn't it anymore?

Oh, it's not the book, it's the author that disturbs: Vance represents "an aggressively demagogic, exclusionary policy".

Appalachians Hillbilly? Yeah, it's an outrageous term, deplorable sounds so much better but the ones voting for Hillary have their answer as well, we let them down and still do.

While not an official demographic used or recognized by the United States Census Bureau , Appalachian Americans, due to various factors, have developed their own distinct culture within larger social groupings. Included are their own dialect , music , folklore , and even sports teams as in the case of the Appalachian League . Furthermore, many colleges and universities now grant degrees in Appalachian studies , as well as scholarship programs for Appalachian students. [4] [5] The term has seen growing usage in recent years, possibly in opposition to the use of hillbilly , which is still often used to describe people of the region. [6]

Hopefully, there are some more exciting times ahead, more in the August Edition.

May 23, 2025
86 – 47 : No more drinks for the President - That was Mr. Comey’s message from the beach .
May 20, 2025
As the tariff negotiations with China are currently underway in Switzerland, it appears the US and UK have agreed to a deal that seems to be an icebreaker in the ongoing saga of tariffs. However, in the end, there will be changes to the world order and a shift in focus toward more discussions about saving the planet rather than war. As of this writing, a 90-day pause with China was agreed , lowering tariffs, while China will likely have to consider some of the US demands. Here is a lesson in journalistic economies ? Friend shoring demonstrates that there are no friends or foes in politics , only interests. Even when the world’s resources were not material but simply dirt—more or less fertile—even in agricultural societies, wars and contests were common, whether for territory, ideology, or personal gain. So when people promote friend shoring, it’s more complicated these days. Just look at rare earths—it's not just dirt, is it? Friend shoring for military technology is another example; read about it for yourself. Still, there is ongoing dialogue but no long-term resolution. After Trump’s plan to control Gaza, Israel appears set to take charge instead, once again negotiating for the release of hostages and the evacuation of civilians , while the world looks on as bystanders . If trade can solve the problem , then make a deal. Here’s some food for thought —liberals may be rebellious about it, but the trend all over Europe is clear: MAGA is going global, especially with an economy in tatters and failing negotiations with Ukraine. There are more sanctions, but what can they sanction that the rest of the world cannot counter? The EU is simply a bureaucratic ideology serving its own interests. The EU wants more liberal students —which is fine, as long as we keep the STEM talent. They need more protesters , as long as the UK remains the leading provider of education ? European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday slammed U.S. President Donald Trump's campaign against American higher education as she unveiled a half-billion-euro plan to attract foreign researchers.
May 16, 2025
May 8, a day in history, marks the end of WWII in Europe with the surrender of Germany , but was it really an ending? As with many wars, especially the ongoing Ukraine and Gaza conflicts, and the renewed animosities between India and Pakistan, one might wonder: have enough people died in wars? Perhaps some wars are justified, but often only after provocation. If you consider the basics of relationship building, communication is a key concept, but there is a difference between communication and simply talking. Perhaps we need more communicators and unified voices in government, whether rooted in realism or liberalism . Are these better choices, or in the end, are NGOs and individual voices the problem after all? We hope that reason will prevail—the only lasting fundamental principle—but is it really, or is it just another cause or excuse? Reason, the cause of an event or situation , or something that provides an excuse or explanation : War forever, according to this lawyer, yes . The UN Security Council is another voice that only speaks after the war, sometimes fueling the fire. Consider the Oxford Guide to Treaties —are these more sources of conflict than resolution? And historians—well, some of them are just presenting a version of their own vision of the world. How was Germany rebuilt after WWII ? Was it help on one side, and taking what you can on the other? The USSR suffered greatly and had to rebuild on its own, but why was the offer of the Marshall Plan rejected—was it due to mistrust, as we see today? Perhaps the reset button requires talks among all, but please, let the haters and ideologues out of the room—only communicators and stakeholders should be present, haters out, which probably means no Selinsky. Beginning immediately after the German surrender and continuing for the next two years, the United States pursued a vigorous program to harvest all technological and scientific know-how, as well as all patents in Germany. John Gimbel comes to the conclusion in his book, Science Technology and Reparations: Exploitation and Plunder in Post-war Germany, that the "intellectual reparations" taken by the U.S. and the UK amounted to close to $10 billion, equivalent to around $150 billion in 2024, [3] [4] concurrent to Operation Paperclip . The plea for a two-party political system (translation needed) stands in contrast to the idea of a global one-party or multi-party system as seen in European countries. Attempts at a global one-party system were made by the Romans and some other early cultures , but none proved sustainable by force or government—though that was before the advent of modern communications. Would things be different today? There are still forces hoping that may be realized, for global peace or power, as reflected in Elon Musk’s warnings about a single world government, Einstein’s global perspective , and people attempting to establish it, such as government by AI and supercomputer . Compare that to today’s European coalition building —for example, in Germany, Black/Blue coalitions seem politically unfeasible. In multi-party systems, the need to form coalitions to gain power may end in stalemates and concessions to the detriment of the people. Here is an overview of global systems and drivers of globalization . The ongoing cat-and-mouse game between advocates for peace and war continues as representatives try to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict. Does it matter that Europe seems unified in the effort to defeat Russia with sanctions and arms, while the US seems to favor a negotiated peace? You can argue endlessly that Putin is the aggressor and invaded, but he will counter that with claims about NATO expansion and broken treaties by the West . Is Germany evolving into the powerhouse of Europe, as it should be? After the election and the ousting of Chancellor Scholz, Friedrich Merz has somehow managed to establish himself as the new leader and has immediately begun to exert influence over Europe—at least, that’s what the German “Democrats” are hoping for. So, when Trump appoints loyalists, it's called a dictatorship, but when Germany does it, it's considered democratic? Also worth noting: another Carnegie piece—and apparently every member of the German Cabinet favors war? Expect Germany's defense Minister to keep Kaja Kallas as informant, hating in politics is never a good start. Imagine, 5 years to build up the military and then eliminate the hate, for good, using the Ukraine invasion as a reason. Merz has deliberately centralized foreign and security policy coordination in the chancellery. To start, he has done away with the long-standing tradition of giving the Foreign Office to the main coalition partner, a practice that baked in foreign-policy dysfunction by setting up a separate power base held by a different political party. Now, for the first time since 1966, the chancellor and foreign minister will be from the same party—in this case, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). New Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul is a party loyalist who will ensure alignment rather than competition with the chancellor. Within the chancellery—where all important foreign-policy decisions are made—Merz has appointed close confidants to key posts: Jacob Schrot, a trusted trans-Atlanticist, as head of the newly created German National Security Council; veteran diplomat Günter Sautter as foreign-policy lead; and Michael Clauss to handle European Union affairs, which Merz wants to make a core strategic portfolio and to which Clauss brings credibility and experience, including significant work on China.
May 9, 2025
Remember the Biden-era stock market jubilations ? It was all about the Magnificent Seven —overhyped and overvalued. The tariff talk came at just the right time to disguise an overdue market correction. The administration framed it as “uncertainty over tariffs.” But no worries, like COVID, it will be “cured” by the same people who created it . Political noise on both sides continues to serve as distraction— like whistling at a referee during a soccer match. Are lawyers and investors the most destructive forces in America? On one side, there are legal maneuvers that deter people from investing. On the other, roll-up acquisitions concentrate wealth that was once shared broadly. Bernie Sanders is on his “Oligarchy Tour,” pointing fingers at Elon Musk—but what about private equity groups (PEGs) ? Are they not a form of oligarchy? And PEGs owning law firms is legal—and mostly supported by Democrats. Try buying a house and living in peace ; your appreciation goes to investors. Under Bernie, it might become a kleptocracy ; under Kamala, a kakistocracy. There are a variety of flavors of corruption. Currently, the most concerning kind is grand corruption . Grand corruption is when public institutions are co-opted by networks of ruling elites to steal public resources for their own private gain. It involves a wide variety of activities including bribery, extortion, nepotism, favoritism, cronyism, judicial fraud, accounting fraud, electoral fraud, public service fraud, embezzlement, influence peddling, and conflicts of interest. The “party of youth” —as someone once said, “If you’re still a socialist at 40, you have no brain.” Harsh? Maybe. But look at the Democratic Party: do they seem to get wiser with age? “If a man is not a socialist by the time he is 20, he has no heart. If he is not a conservative by 40, he has no brain.” — Winston Churchill Why is fake news so persistent? It follows the same rule as bad customer service—the reputation sticks. On fake news, consider Isaiah Berlin and Friedrich Hayek , knights of classical liberalism. Maybe that’s why Trump won—elites don’t put food on the table. Liberalism and the Pursuit of Happiness The root of fascism, communism, and all totalitarian ideologies lies in the naïve belief that there is only one correct way to live and that intellectuals can determine it with the certainty of natural sciences. Liberalism, by contrast, does not prescribe a singular way of life and this is its strength. It enables individuals with diverse beliefs, goals, and ambitions to coexist. This principle is embodied in the Declaration of Independence, which proclaims the “pursuit of happiness”—a pursuit meant for individuals to discover, not for the state to dictate. This is the core belief of liberalism. With the Pope absent from climate advocacy, perhaps churches can fill the role . Whether lawyers act out of conviction or cash is debatable, but climate lawfare is on the rise. Are we heading back to gladiator justice—only with no one to fight? The public trust doctrine had little to do with environmental law until the 1970s, when Joseph Sax argued it could support lawsuits to defend public resources. Are law firms above the law ? Consider the government’s action against Perkins Coie , blocked by Judge Beryl Howell , an Obama appointee. Will we ever find answers to the big questions—like assassination attempts? President Trump’s executive order against Perkins Coie was ruled unconstitutional and retaliatory. It cannot be enforced. This ruling marks the biggest legal setback in Trump’s campaign against firms representing his political adversaries— many of which challenged the order in court . It’s all in the family. Once lawyers secure a case , the food chain never ends. Knowing the system matters—justice is second. And sometimes the lawyers themselves become the story. Abbe Lowell’s communications were ruled outside attorney-client privilege in a 2020 opinion by Judge Howell. The reason: potential evidence of crimes and involvement of non-lawyer third parties. And finally, on tariffs: if your population can’t afford the goods they produce, your export model collapses. Without a home market , tariffs eventually hit hard. Two years from now, Democrats may still hate DJT—but maybe they'll admit he saw it coming.
May 7, 2025
The betrayal of the American school system is evident when education becomes a secondary priority—supplanted by sports and social wellbeing. While some countries prioritize STEM in their education systems, the U.S. seems increasingly focused on “alternative” social issues. The value system now places lawyers, judges, and welfare programs front and center—paving the way for more lawfare, entertainment, and injustice dressed as justice. Yes, football players generate revenue , but so do scientists and engineers. Imagine if every ambulance chaser became an engineer designing fault-proof devices—the only downside? An hourly rate of $50 versus $250–$1500. Where is Congress in setting the tone? Nearly all members are lawyers. And while student loan debt exceeds $2.8 billion , we’re still debating whether to pay a third-grade volunteer assistant coach. It’s legal insanity. Next up? Pool, pickleball, darts, and cricket just to earn a buck. Maybe we should only have Division I colleges—and let sports fund all education. That, of course, would be a myth for the ACLU . Claudia Wilken is the jurist who will have the final say on the pending $2.8 billion settlement of a class-action lawsuit that is set to end the NCAA’s decades-old rules that have prohibited players from getting paid. It’s no exaggeration to say that the future of college sports rests on her decision. The deal Wilken is scrutinizing would award back pay to thousands of athletes, while allowing schools for the first time to pay their athletes directly from the billions of dollars they help generate. For an NCAA that had long sold the public on unpaid amateurs as central to the appeal of college sports, it is an earthquake. To athletes, it’s a revelation. European countries with apprenticeship systems educate roughly 60% of their college-age population. Even China implemented apprenticeships to address labor skill gaps. Meanwhile, the U.S. nurtures a college-for-everyone model, wasting millions for the profit of lenders and sports leagues that draft “free” talent. Sports are not an academic curriculum. The education and sports industries must be separated—eliminating the need to “draft” students to fill classrooms. The NFL could easily run junior leagues with the money colleges spend on coaches . Adopting apprenticeship programs in the U.S. would have clear benefits. But what happens to colleges that lose 60% of their students? And where does that leave the millions glued to TVs each March and fall? Education versus entertainment. With only 0.1% of college players turning pro, what happens to the 99.9% after graduation? Watching from the couch? In much of the world , especially in soccer, elite athletes are developed from a young age by professional clubs—not schools. Take Alan Carleton , as an example of how the system could succeed in the US.. The summer before his junior year, he became the first “homegrown” player to sign with Atlanta United FC in Major League Soccer. Atlanta United’s owner, Arthur Blank—who also owns the Atlanta Falcons—picked up Carleton from his Powder Springs, GA home in a Mercedes-Benz van to take him to a signing ceremony at The Varsity, a local Atlanta diner. Is it time for the U.S. to adopt a European-style model where pro clubs develop athletes and schools focus solely on academics? Another cultural debate making waves is the missed opportunity of not following seahorses in the sexual evolution cycle. Today, anything outside of “gender neutral” is treated as scientific radicalism. Gender ideology debates rage on, while perhaps Elon Musk has a solution he’d never use. Like it or not, we are male and female. Clothes and cosmetics don’t change biology. Feelings— no matter how intense —aren’t science. Ask Meta AI , or just be yourself—and be tolerant in both directions. But that's not their only oddity. Seahorses swim vertically, lack pelvic fins, have bony plates over their bodies, and move their eyeballs independently. Perhaps most distinctively, the males carry babies and give birth to them instead of females.
April 22, 2025
Generational divide, ideological alliance —the Democrats' dilemma. In the search for a new leader, Bernie Sanders with AOC may appear as the perfect ideological duo—but will their platform ever become mainstream? Probably not. Oligarchs exist on both sides of the political aisle—some overt, others working as lobbyists or influencers. George Clooney could be an intriguing candidate; he arguably has as much intellect as Joe Biden and could deliver a performance on par with Volodymyr Zelensky. Maybe someone will convince him. After all, Ronald Reagan became a great president. Clooney’s favorite, Wes Moore , could be the first president from Maryland—and that may be enough for Democrats. This thought is permeated by the fact that his wife, Amal Clooney, is a British-Lebanese activist who specializes in international law and human rights. She's known for representing high-profile clients like former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. She's also advocated for causes like the release of Al Jazeera journalists and the return of the Elgin Marbles. February 21, 2025: George didn’t think he’d have “much of a chance” with Amal when they first met. In an interview with The New York Times , Clooney said he didn’t expect Amal to be interested because of their age gap. “Then I didn’t really think I’d have much of a chance with her because I was 17 years older and she seemed to have everything she needed,” he said. He also admitted he wasn’t initially “in the market for being a dad,” but that quickly changed. “Then I met Amal, and we fell in love. I have to say that, after that, everything made sense,” he said. Then there's the infighting and wishful thinking. Take your pick. Maybe Thom Hartmann should run in 2028—he certainly offers the kind of fantasy-based commentary needed to stir debate. He’s from Grand Rapids, a town devastated by outsourcing to China. He could have starred in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” but instead, Amway revitalized the area, and now, the city is back on its feet. It’s time to retire some dinosaurs from Congress. Pelosi, Schumer, McConnell—their visibility is fading. While the rallying cry is to “save democracy,” what we often get is lawfare, not leadership. From immigration to budget battles, ideology seems to drive opinion polls more than solutions. The opposition seems more focused on ensuring the administration fails, just to say “I told you so.” Take tariffs —there’s a case to be made, but it requires action. Instead, it’s easier to redefine economics to fit a narrative or litigate the issue endlessly. The 50501 movement claims to speak for the people , but it dismisses the outcome of November 2024 and the agenda voters elected. Overall, the median age of House Democrats is 57.6, while House Republicans average 57.5. In the Senate, the median age of Democrats is 66.0, slightly higher than Republicans at 64.5. According to the Congressional Research Service, 170 House members and 60 Senators are lawyers. Out of 535 total legislators, lawyers make up 43% of Congress—60% of the Senate, and 37.2% of the House. There are 81 Republican lawyers and 123 Democrat lawyers who list "lawyer" as their profession. Some may also hold law degrees but work in other roles, such as doctor, industrialist, teacher, or real estate agent or broker. The medical and real estate professions are also strongly represented in Congress.
More Posts